Welcome to HVAC-Talk.com, a non-DIY site and the ultimate Source for HVAC Information & Knowledge Sharing for the industry professional! Here you can join over 150,000 HVAC Professionals & enthusiasts from around the world discussing all things related to HVAC/R. You are currently viewing as a NON-REGISTERED guest which gives you limited access to view discussions

To gain full access to our forums you must register; for a free account. As a registered Guest you will be able to:

Participate in over 40 different forums and search/browse from nearly 3 million posts.

Mini Split Help!!!!!

Hey guys Ive been coming to this forum to read up when Ive had questions for years. Today I had to sign up because I have a customer who has me pulling my hair out. First problem is that he is a Mechanical engineer, second he called me but doesn't know why he called me, and third he has a wad of cash to blow. He wants his 1200sqft house outfitted with minisplits in 3 beds the kitchen and living room. No problem right???? Wrong he doesn't want a multi zone set up using one condenser, he wants an individual inverter condenser for each room. yes that's five condensers!!!!!!!!!!!! he is swearing that it will be way more efficient this way. I'm telling him he has lost his mind all together. I'm trying to explain that running five appliances will always be more than running more. At this point he whips out a four page calculation he did. I'm not joking. And then tells me he was given my number because I'm the guy who will get done and get it done right. (oh flattery) I told him I would do it but would not grantee that he will get the results he wants. Then i told him i need a day to do some research before we sign any paper work. What's your take on this???? By the way walls have 4" foam open cell, attic has 12" closed cell, windows are all insulated and have sun shades. Also has a 6 inch fresh air duct with dehumidification and double filtration that he designed and installed him self. All electric appliances. In New Orleans.

If you dont walk away from it you will spend every saturday night for six months at his house working on nonexistent problems everytime a cricket chirps or he hears a noise he will be blowing your phone up thinking something is wrong or it is a half degree off of his estimated temperature drop or some bs he will be calling you

I would definitely second that! Every customer I have ever had that said I was there because they only trusted me or blew all kinds of sunshine up my skirt about how awesome I was, ALWAYS turned out to be THAT customer. If you take it give him a 10 page detailed proposal and make enough on it to be happy that you just got a new " friend".

Take the job. Install Mitsubishi High Heat units. The higher heat output is not available in the multi-zone units. Do as has already been suggested and make sure you specify in your contract precisely what you will do, as well as just what your warranty obligation and limitations are. He's going to spend more money for 1:1 units but that's what I'd want if I felt heating costs were a priority.
I would mention to him the limited tax credit for air to air units and the far larger tax credits for geothermal.

Well i told him today that Friday I would present him with a couple different proposals for different options and that if he wanted me to do the work he would have to choose one of those. I'm trying to sell him on fujitsu, daikin, or mitsubishi. I can easily get these brands in my area. Thats when he made the comment that it would not only be more efficient with independant units but also if the A/C went down in one part of the house the rest would not be effected. He has a point there and I can understand that. But now my question is still, will it be more effecient with independant systems? Thats my main concern, I pride my self on being able to cool and heat a home in the most effeicent ways available to me amd my customers. And i'm not sure if my thinkingt is correct on this, but it seems to me that the more units you have the more power they will consume. For instance if you have five units running off 115v with a 16 seer energy rating they will use more power than a single quad zone 16 seer 230v unit and one single zone 16 seer 115V unit. Is there something wrong with my thinking it costs more run more units??? Personally I'm running two fujitsu tri zone 18 seer set ups at home. one for the bed rooms, the other for the common areas.